Comparison

The MICHELIN Guide vs Tabelog

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

The MICHELIN Guide

Discover and book top-rated restaurants and hotels worldwide. Plan your next trip with curated selections, create personalized lists, and access exclusive perks. Expert travel assistance is also available.

Highlights
  • Global restaurant and hotel listings
  • Instant booking for hotels
  • Create and share favorite place lists
  • Exclusive hotel upgrades and amenities (Plus membership)
  • Expert travel specialist assistance
Features
Read full description

Stay in amazing places. Eat unforgettable meals. Take the MICHELIN Guide app wherever you go. The MICHELIN Guide app puts the world’s best restaurants and hotels right in your pocket — and lets you book them. It marks the first time in history that the entire global guide — every restaurant in every location — is all together, all in one place. The app also includes the new and improved MICHELIN Guide hotel selection. Now you can instantly book the world’s most unique and exciting hotels, each one chosen for their extraordinary style, service, and personality. The MICHELIN Guide app makes it easier than ever to plan your next adventure or enhance your current one. Use it to quickly find and reserve restaurants and hotels near you or in a future destination; create and share lists of all your favorite places; or trial our “Plus” membership and receive free VIP upgrades and amenities at participating hotels. Need concierge-level care? Our expert travel specialists are waiting just a click away, available to assist with any aspect of your trip. They’re real people, ready to help you go places. So get going. Find great restaurants & hotels in each MICHELIN Guide city. Book amazing hotels wherever you find yourself. Download the app today.

About

Tabelog

Discover and reserve tables at Japan's top local restaurants. This app offers extensive reviews, ratings, and real-time booking for diverse dining experiences across the country, making it easy to find the perfect meal whether you're a tourist or a local.

Highlights
  • Restaurant search and discovery
  • Authentic food ratings and reviews
  • Real-time table reservations
  • Map-based navigation
  • Save favorite places
  • Multilingual menu and cashless payment info
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Find, review, and book a table at Japan’s best local restaurants, before you go or while you travel. Tabelog is Japan’s leading restaurant search, food review, and table reservation app, trusted by locals and travelers alike. With over 800,000 restaurants nationwide and more than 82 million authentic food ratings and reviews, it’s the easiest way to discover where to eat in Japan with confidence. Whether you’re planning a trip, on a solo travel adventure, or simply looking for cheap food at a dinner spot nearby, Tabelog helps you find the right restaurant for every moment. From sushi, yakiniku, ramen, and izakaya to cafes, desserts, and international dining, explore options loved by locals across Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and beyond. Use Tabelog as your travel guide and food planner to search restaurants near you or anywhere in Japan. Check the menu, detailed food reviews, photos, and food tips from real diners, compare food ratings, and book a table instantly when seats are available. Planning to visit Japan from the US? Tabelog makes dining simple for American travelers with these top features: ・Search popular lunch or dinner spots near your location, or anywhere in the country ・Discover neighborhood ramen, restaurants and cafes loved by locals. ・Book a table or make a table reservation with real-time availability ・Find restaurants with multilingual menus and cashless payment options ・Save favorite places for later. and plan your trip with ease ・Restaurant recommendations for dates, family trips, solo-dining and group outings ・Check for multilingual menus and cashless payment support before your visit. SIX reasons to choose Tabelog: 1. Over 800,000 restaurants across Japan -- Not just Tokyo and Kyoto!  2. 82+ million reliable food reviews and ratings from real diners 3. 3 million registered reviewers nationwide, posting photos and reviews daily  4. Map-based restaurant finder makes navigation easy  5. Online reservations with real-time seat availability  6. Personal lists to save and plan your dining itinerary *Restaurant data as of May 2024, based on internal research. From travel meal planning to searching for cheap food nearby, Tabelog is your go-to app for dining, food discovery, local restaurant reservations, and unforgettable experiences when you go to Japan. Privacy Policy: https://tabelog.com/en/help/privacypolicy  Terms of Use: https://tabelog.com/en/help/rules https://tabelog.com/en/help/reservation_rules  [Recommended Operating Environment] We recommend using the Tabelog app under the following operating environment. The app may not function properly or may not be installable on versions outside the recommended environment. Please update to the recommended OS version for the best experience. Recommended OS: iOS 18.0 or later *For any issues related to app operation or installation via the App Store, please contact Apple Inc. directly. *iPhone and App Store are trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.

Screenshots

The MICHELIN Guide4 screens
Tabelog4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Tabelog at free against The MICHELIN Guide's free with in-app purchases. Tabelog also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). The MICHELIN Guide's advantage is review sentiment (41% vs 29%) and ratings volume (7.5K vs 2.4K). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for The MICHELIN Guide against 4.9 for Tabelog. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7.5K and 2.4K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of The MICHELIN Guide's written reviews are positive against 29% of Tabelog's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The MICHELIN Guide ships an update every 9 days, Tabelog every 5 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
The MICHELIN Guide versus Tabelog: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe MICHELIN GuideTabelog
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (7.5K ratings)4.9 (2.4K ratings)
Positive reviews41.3% of reviews — better29.3% of reviews
Number of ratings7.5K — better2.4K
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#157#75 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size171 MB105 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperTablet IncKakaku.com, Inc.

Customer experience

The MICHELIN Guide

All ratings7,501 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral1.0%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews356 reviews
Positive41.3%
Neutral11.8%
Negative46.9%

Tabelog

All ratings2,440 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral1.3%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews41 reviews
Positive29.3%
Neutral7.3%
Negative63.4%

Bugs and requests

The MICHELIN Guide

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Location services not working as expected
  • Search functionality not returning relevant results
  • Inability to save or access user-created lists

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to search by cuisine, price range, and other filters
  • Map view with location-based recommendations
  • User-generated reviews and photos
  • Offline mode for accessing content without internet
  • Landscape mode support for tablets

Tabelog

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

The MICHELIN Guide

No in-app purchases

None

Tabelog

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The MICHELIN Guide free?
The MICHELIN Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tabelog free?
Tabelog is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, The MICHELIN Guide or Tabelog?
The MICHELIN Guide and Tabelog are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 7.5K and 2.4K ratings respectively.
Do The MICHELIN Guide or Tabelog have ads?
Neither The MICHELIN Guide nor Tabelog shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The MICHELIN Guide or Tabelog?
The MICHELIN Guide ships an update every 9 days, and Tabelog every 5 days. Most recently, The MICHELIN Guide was updated on September 24, 2026 and Tabelog on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, The MICHELIN Guide or Tabelog?
The MICHELIN Guide currently peaks at #157 in the App Store charts, and Tabelog at #75. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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